Skate



Sept. 8, 1925.

C. H. CLARK SKATE Filed Feb, '7, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l L... llllllllll Spfn s, 1925. 1,552,54;

C. H. CLARK l SKATE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1923 26 laj INVENTOR sept. s, 1925. u

l A C. H. CLARK SKATE Filed Feb. 7, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet .'5

INV ENTOR Patented Sept, 8, 1925.

UNITED STATT-:s

CHARLES HASKELL CLARK, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

SKATE.

Application filed February 7, 1923.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skates, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to roller skates of the type having at least one wheel of large diameter extending well above the upper surface of the foot-plate or sole plate. Skates of this general type, while in general providing easy riding qualities, involve many problems which must be overcome' to obtain an approximation of perfection 4and satisfactory results, and many attempts to provide such a type of skate and to solve the problems inherent therein, in different ways, have been made. @ne such effort is set forth in my Patent No. 1,379,250 granted May 2st, 1921, and skates I have manufactured according to the construction set forth in said patent have given excellent results, but an objection to them lies in the fact that they are not suited to use by a novice, but require that the skater shall first have learned to skate, or, put differently, they require skill to operate, and their use and market are thus restricted.

rlhe object of the present invention, broadly stated, is to solve the problems involved in such a manner as to provide a skate of this general type which does not require previous skating and special skill to operate, but may be used as easily as any other skate by the rankest novice with at least as good results and greater satisfaction, and also to, by the hereinafter set forth construction, avoid objectionable features heretofore present in the previous constructions, including the construction set forth in my above referred to patent.

More specifically stated, the objects of my. present invention are to provide a skate having wheels on one side only and in which the distance of the foot-plate or sole-plate from the ground with relation to the point of attachment of the foot-brace to the leg is such as to greatly reduce the sidewise pressure exerted by the brace upon the leg at such point of attachment of the brace; to provide a skate having wheels on only one side and which will not exert undue pressure upon'the leg and will avoid any Serial No. 617,498.

chance of the wheels of the two skates of the pair in use from striking against, or catching in, each other; to provide a skate having wheels on only one side and so mounted as to track, though it is not vital to my.

invention, considered in its broader aspects, that the wheels should track; to provide a skate of this type having its wheels slightly inclined to the vertical, though this feature of inclination of the wheels is not vital to myY inventionl when considered in its broader aspects; to provide a skate of this type wherein the line of application of pressure to the wheel treads will be at an angle, not substantially in excess of ten degrees, to a line intersectingthe point of application of pressure by said leg brace to the side of the leg and a longitudinal line intersecting the points of contact of the two wheel tires with the road, or street, or rink surface; to provide a skate of this type in which longitudinal rocking of the foot-plate with. relation to the axes of the wheels is eliminated; to provide in combination with this type of skate a sensitive brake mechanism which will be set by an unusual pointing ofthe toe with relation to the leg, such pointing being accomplished by a forward movement of the leg with relation to the body while both wheels ofithe skate are in contact with the ground, such brake automatically tightening up its grip and being automatically released to greater or less degree, in case the brake be applied too abruptly, by the forward momentum of the body overrunning the leg; to provide a skate of this type of which the wheels will be substantially perpendicular to the road surface during the latter portion of a skating stroke to sustain the load which is greater at this time than during any other portion of the skating stroke; to provide a skate of this type of which the wheels will be substantially perpendicular during that portion ofthe stroke in which the tires are subjected to the greatest amount of side thrust; to provide a skate of this type-of which the tires of the wheels when placed under the greatest load yand side-thrust of the skating stroke is substantially vertical and free to flex withoutrim obstruction and thus free fr m conditions tending to` increase its rolling friction; and to provide a journaled brace cuff or band which permits the ankle and the skate to be rocked transversely ot the skate so as to'reduce and even entirely eliminate the brace strain if desired,

all ot Which objects are accomplished by. the construction, combination and Aarrangement of parts all as hereinafter set forth, described and claimed. l

Skates which have Wheels mounted only on the outer side Will function in traveling and steering very much the same as an ice" skate, but will naturally` have a tendcncy to tip to the inside, this tendency `being' governed or otsetA byy the point at which the pressure is appliedito thev foot-plate and the plane ofthe' 'yvilieels, andtheV operation ofthe leg brace. Likewise, the amount oi' torce or strain exerted laterally on the leg i by thebrace in overcoming tliisinward tipping tendency dependsY on4 the degreeof inclination of the Wheels With, relation to a vertical plane, and the lieiglitoi the footplate troni-.the ground ivithjrelation to the nce from' the vground of the point of attacnment'o't'thebrace tortlieleg. It follows thatl aI skater, standing still on one r skate of tliist'ype, Will be obligedvto lean outward over tlieskate to a much greater v degree tlianivfithfa skate Which is balanced.

Also, as, aiding to better understanding ofthey invention, it should be borne in mind Y,

that at theI start Aofl a strokel the4v skaters body will be slightly,inclined towardthatv leg viv'ith` ivhich thelstrokeistakein'so that the' wheels,4 vwill: be.y at their greater degree of'v incliiiationfand. thatzat such time the skater drops his body ltoivard g the skate and, as tliestroke progresses, heswings` his body pif'o,f jressively' toward the other side and also' -pushe's hisr bodyl avvay Vtroni the skate f to give force tothe stroke. Tliisfistlie nor-` malskating movement. From its considerf,

ation it will be apparent'that 'tliedivheelsv and tiresare saibjec'tedl to tlielightest load Figure l represents ay side elevation cfa vskate embodying my inventionshovvnas.

applied to 4a skaters'leg; i y

Figurefia topjplan lview of the skate illiistrat'ed, inFigurefl, the out-lineV of the skatefs'itoot being indicated; f

Figure A3, a fr-ontlelev'ation of the representation yof Figure l g' I l Figure 4, a yineditied form Iof.` frame,` ,defi sign'elfifork nianufA Qttire'by casting;

Figure 5, a further modiiied form of frame, for a smaller size skate, also designed for manufacture lby casting;

Figure 6, a sectional detail view, on an enlargedV scale, of one of the toe-clamps and associated parts;

Figure 7, a bottom plan vievV of the structure shown in Fig. 6; i 'Figure 8, a rear elevation of the bracket Biwith its arm 40 and stop-finger 4i, the

lo-Wer plate 2 or" the skate frame to Whichthe bracket is riveted being indicated in sec# tionA and the brake operating lever or pin 42 vand thel cooperating flange or lip 39, ofV thev brakey band-'being indicated in normalv relation, thev former in end elevation, the letterari Section;

Figure/9, a: side elevation, of the struc- ,v

turelshown in Fi 8 Vomittin0r heave-ver, the

brakeoperatinglever or pin, and.; adding-.air

oia portion of; the brakeillustration lining; i Y

Figure 10,A a `detailsideelevation of the ankle or brace cuconnectioii, with, the

brace; Y

Figure 1l,` a, sectionalf viewv on thel line nella-ottieni@ 10i; f

Figures 12, 13 and 14, detailviews of a modified form. of jcinti or connection` be-` tweenthe brace and its cuff 5 Figure l5, a. detail side elevation vof a lockenut 23, ons an enlarged scale, suoli as usedin the above illustrated joint andelsei Where the skate of this invention;

Figurel, a, sideelevationof a, modified form of skate embodying-my invention;

andA

fied., form otskate shown in. Figure, 16,.

In skates of the type formingthe subject matter otthis invention it is flound that the siri'aller the angle between a line, hereinafter,referred,to `as the line; ot pressure, orY

pressure line, intersecting the point of aps, plxicationof pressure or force to the foot plate andga line. intersecting the points 0i' Contact Yofthe Wheels with thevground, and

a line, hereinafter referred to as .the line y of gravity, .intersecting the point of gravity of the skaters body and a line intersecting. thelpoiiits of contactof the Wheels with thel groiii'id,V the smaller will ,be the inclination,

of theskate toy tipy sidewise, as thereby the lateral pressure Will bel decreased. Like- Wise, it isito. berecognized that the angle between these. twoI lines v Will increasev and A decrease in vaccordance with thevdistance fromtlie ground ofthe point ot application otfpressiire ivitli relationv` tov the.y distance tiiom ltlie;ground of the pointofiattachment betliehendthrust on the {ivlieel bearings,y

Witlr'cCnSequeiit increasel in .friction Figure 17, afrontv elevatioiiof. the modiotithebrace to theleg. *filsoit `isobvious thatl the greater. theAk inclination ofi the Wheels is toa vertical plane `the greater Wilh leverage, so that any undue inclination of the wheels is to be avoided.

Likewise, it is to be recognized that a line extending lengthwise through the center of a skaters leg will extend at an angle of approximately eight degrees to the gravity line, the angle between these two lines being hereinafter referred to as the leg angle.

In developing my present invention I have recognized the above 'facts and have sought to harmonize them in such manner as to obtain the least lateral leverage, thus reducing the tendency to tip sidewise, with. the least degree of inclination of the wheels, and to decrease the pressure exerted by the brace laterally inwardly against the skaters leg, making use of the leg-angle to force the foot-plate over toward the wheels to bring the point of application of footpressure as near to the line of gravity as possible with the degree of inclination of wheels shown, and to minimize the endthrust and friction exerted upon the wheel bearings and to provide a skate of which the wheels will be perpendicular and Jthe tires subjected to the least side-thrust when under the heaviest load, which occurs during the latter portion of the skating stroke.

By way of illustration and as applied to an embodiment of my invention according to Figures 1, 2 ant 3, T have indicated on Figure 3 the lines of gravity and application of pressure, and also the line of'inclination of the wheels and a line extending at right angles thereto through the axes of the wheels to indicate the angle of the surface of the foot plate illustrated with relation to the inclined plane of the wheels and also as indicating a plane in which the footplate surface might beA located with a given form of brace.

Referring to Figure 3, the line 0.-?) represents a line passing' through the center of gravity of the skaters body and through a line, line ,f/-h of Figs. l and 2, intersecting the points of contact of the wheels with the ground. This line a-Z), the gravity line, is vertical when the skater stands on one skate and is not in motion, but since the body is usually in motion, swinging from side to side, the gravity line a-Z) is not usually vertical and does not even have a fixed position relative to the leg with which the stroke is taken, although the leg is generally about in the position relative to the line a-Z) as shown in Fig. 3. Y

The line b-c intersecting the point e of pressure and the line' g-.L represents the line of application of pressure or load or force. f

The line -f intersecting the line g-h and extending parallel to the sides of the wheel tires indicates the line or plane of inclination of the wheels to the vertical and the ankle.

with relation 'to the 'foot-plate which is illustrated as horizontal in its position in Figures 1, 2 and 3. M

As indicated, the line o o extends inwardly and upwardly at an angle of ten degrees to the line ca and the line -7" extends outwardly and upwardly at an angle of ten degrees to the line a-Zr lt will be readily appreciated that if the pointof application of pressure, indicated at e, were moved down closer to the ground, the angle between line a-Z) and line ZJ-o would increase proportionally as the point e approaches the ground, it not being feasible to shift the point e over laterally closer to line 6 6 without multiplying the degree of inclination of line b-f, resulting in rapid progressive increase of end-thrust and friction on the wheel bearings.

Assuming that the relation between the lines of l application of pressure and of gravity are as shown in Fig. 3 and that the skater weighs one hundred pounds, the sidethrust at e will be but approximately 17 pounds, or only approximately 5.7 pounds at the point of application of pressure or strain by the brace to the leg, as the latter point is approximately three times `vfurther from the line g-t ina vertical direction than is the plane of pointe. If the point c is lowered the brace thrust or strain rapidly increases due to the increase of the angle between line 4 5 and line o o', and I have found that the minimum distance the point e should be fromA the ground, in a construction embodying my invention, is equal to appr :iiinately the distance from the heel of the skaters shoe to his ankle joint. This distance depends upon the size of the skaters foot, but'it ranges from three to four inches. However, the higher, within reason, the point e is from the ground the closer it will be vto the gravity line and the smaller will be the angle between the gravity line and the pressure line.

While a ten degree tilt between the wheels and the foot-plate is illustrated, this exact degree of tilt or inclination is not essential, it being recognized that the skater by rocking his ankle can cause the skate to rock at least ten degrees each way transversely from the position indicated in Figure 3. This isdue to the fact that the top of the brace is secured to the leg above the ankle and may be forced over laterally'either way as the foot is moved over by the rocking of However, wheels which are inclined much more than ten degrees will'not run well because of the increased end thrust and friction kon the wheelbearings and sidethrust on the tire increasing its coecient' of rolling friction, so that suchl increase in inclination should be made to occur pref-.

e ably during the beginning4 ofv the Vskating stroke when theload Yand side-thrust are` leastZ Also, if thev wheels of the skate be inclined ata maximurn'of less than approximately eight degrees during the skating stroke the angle between the gravity line anl pressure line will rapidly increase,-rap idly increasing the brace strain, it being noted that such decrease of angle ofinclination would result in moving the pointv e' laterally inwardlyk away from the line zr/ Rocking the skate so asv to'increa'se the inclination of the' wheels will 'move the 'point e over near the liney a-J), decreasing the angle between the linesiae-b and b-o and sowill decrease the brace strainY to whatever point desired,or entirely eliminatevit but, however, only at the cost of increased friction and end'thrust on the bearings and' side thrust on the' tires and is useful in steering.

l have shown' the' footlplate 1 at a right angle to the gravity line awhen the wheels are tilted ten degrees tof said line, or vdropped down ten degrees -froma horizontal line, suc'hconstruction' resulting in displacing therv upper portion' of the wheels and allowing the lskater-s foot to be forced over further toward theV wheels so as to bring the point e closer to the line a--b. However, while this construction is decidedly preferable as a` fixed form, it is notess'ential since said foot-plate 1' can be placedat any angle the skater wishesfan'd yetin'ot materially affect the slant `of the wheels relative to line a-Z? with a given shaped brace. This is due tothe fact that it lis the brace, rather than the foot-plate, which 'determines the slant o'f'thewheels relative to line wand to the leg, therefore-the footplate' might be c arranged'fat right Iangles toy the plane of the' wheels, as I have indicated in Fig.r 3'by the ten; degree angle throughfthe foot-plate 1. The foot kwill automatically adjust itself, within reasonable limits, to' various angles even without necessitatinga 'rocking of the ankle. I Y

lfteferring.y now in detail to' the drawings, the skate frame consists of afoot-plate 1, avlower orbottom strutbrace plate 2, axles 3 fixedly secured to the plates at, and between, the' respective end portions of' said vplatesy 1 and2lby rivets orother"suitable'me'ans 4L' passing' through said plates and theV intervening portions of the. respectivea'xles' 3, thesev plates' l and 2 beingsp'aced from each other b'ysaid axles 3 and by tubular braces' andspacers' 5 also secured' inposition by rivets orother suitable" means 4'. Y

free`V rotation thereon, suitable ymeans for retaining saidcwheels A on their respective' Disc wheels' A having hubs provided' with suitable` anti-friction bearings4 are mounted on therespective aXles'3 'to have of approximately' ten degrees to the vertical,

elements of the foregoing structure'ofI thel frame" may be of any suitable i material, pressed steel, forgings or castings, and the skatefframe as a whole may be a builtfup structure as 'above' described, or an integral forging or casting.

The foot-plate 1 is'y provided withjaheel-v plate 6, which may bev either integral with the plate 1 or'fixedly' secured thereto.l An ankle strap 7 is secured to said heel-plate' and is provided with'th'e usualbuclrle and holes for drawingthel straptight across the insteptof hold the heelfirmly in' position, all as usual. y 4.

Adjustable toe-clamps 8, guided* by the adjacent side'of the front' axle 3, are. pro-j videdv for individual adjustment sli'dably laterally and are held vin adjusted' position by means of the screws 9 and long sleevelike nuts 10zhaving upper ends 11 hardened and formed with cutting edges" for'bitiirgA into and gripping the respective clamp members 8, the nuts 10l having .their external faces angular in cross-section preferably for their fulll length to facilitate ease of-grip for. adjustment, and the respective' screws 9 being'held against turningl by cross-pins 12 mountedI in them` so as to lie'in the usual slots of the' respective clamps 8. Short straps 13 are connectedto the upwardly turned. outer ends of' the' respective toeclamps 8y bylrivets 4L andiareto be'connected toget'her'by the buckle- 14E and drawn tight so' as to holdl the toel firmly inV` positionv and' relieve'the toe of the -sltaters shoeoffstrain it would otherwise have to 'sustain unaided.

The brace15vis proi'rided'fat' its' y'lower end with a shaftVv lextending' inward atl right angles thereto and journaled in bearing 17 f held in the rear tubularspacing brace`5`by` ends'of rivets a lock-nutlS' being screwedl on the inner endfof shaft 16 so Vas to hold thesjame in' position in its bearing. 17 .while leaving' it free for partial rotation in said bearing.l

The upper end of brace-"'15 is spread to".

form a wide pressure plate 19, Vthe latter being Vperforated and received y betvv'efenV curved metallic plate'2() andmeta'llic bracket 2l-secured to plate 20 by rivets 4 or' anyl other suitable means, a s hortbolt22'having" `its head on the inside'of plate`20p'rotruding outwardly through said plate 7:20, bracket 21jv andthe intervening pressure plate' 19 andV receiving a lock-nut 23 on its outer screw? threadedendlv y The'pla'te'20 is secured to the usual 'leather' rbrace cuff or'band 24C with its usual pad; lining-25 by clinched rivets 26 or any other suitable means. The usual strap 27 and buckle 2S secured to the respective end portions of the leather cuff or band 24 will serve to draw and hold the latter tightly about the skaters leg above his ankle.

The upper portion of the brace 16 is bent abruptly inward or stepped in as at 29 to ward the leg in order that while the pressure plate 19 may be strapped tightly against the leg, the remainder of the brace 15 will be held spaced away from the skat ers leg and ankle in order to hold the wheeh A at the proper inclination relative to the leg and to provide clearance so that the ankle and foot may be rocked to obtain the desired variation in the position of thev wheels A relative to a vertical plane and the line of gravity and to vary the side strain or pressure of the plate. 19 against the skat' ers leg, by varying the angle between the lines of pressure and of gravity.

A. brake-drum 30 is mounted upon the inner face of, and extends inwardly concentric with the hub of, theI rear wheel A. Surrounding the brake-drum 30 is the split brake-band 31, provided with the usual brake-lining 32 gripping upon the brakedrum 30. and reinforced with the chain 33 having its upper end secured thereto by rivet 4. A bracket 34 is riveted by rivets 4 to the lower face of plate 2 just to the rear of rear tubular brace 5 and has its flange 33 provided with a perforation 35. A bolt 36, having` its head connected in the adjacent lower end of chain 33, extends through perforation 35 and receives a locknut 23 on its screw-threaded end, said locknut serving also to adjust the grip of the brake. A spring 37 bearing with its respective ends against said flange 33 and the head of the bolt 36 serves to prevent rattling of the bolt 36 when the brake is free.

The upper and forward end of brake-band 31 is provided with an abrupt flange or lip 39 and the bracket 34 has an arm 40 extending upwardly and forwardly between said rear wheel A and the skate frame and a 41 extends laterally inwardly from the ugper end of this arm so as to overlie flange 39 and to be engaged by the latter when the brake is free to prevent the brake from slipping off of the brake-drum 30 and to hold said flange 39 in posit-ion to be engaged by the .finger or lever 42 to set the brake in case of need.

Short brake lever or pin or linger 42 eX- tends slantingly upwardly andvrearwardly from shaft 16 and normally overlies the' flange or lip 39 in such position that an unusual rearward partial rotation of said shaft 16 will cause such pin or lever 42 to press against said flange or lip 42 to draw the brake-band 31 up tight and so apply the brake.

To apply the brake the foot is pushed forward, increasing the angle between the toe and leg and pointing. the toe to an unusual degree, 'causing the brace 15 to swing rearwardly, causing an unusual rearward partial rotation o1 the shaft 16, bringing the lever or pin 42 into engagement with the flange 'or lip 39 and moving the latter forward about the brake-drum 30, causing the brake-lining 32 to grip the brake-drum 30. Inasmuch as the brake-drum 30 is rotating in the direction of the movement of the lip or flange 39, but a very slight movement of the latter is necessary to apply the brake, as they action of thc surface of the brake-drum 30, once the brake begins to function, will tend automatically to draw the brake-lining 32 into tighter contact with vthe brake-drum 30. An increase of 'the angle between the toe and the leg will normally occur during practically each normal skating'stroke with a skate of this type andthere-fore, it is necessary to provide a construction whereby only an unusual increase of the angle between theleg and toe will suffice to apply the brake, while at the same time providing a brake construction that will take hold quickly and effcctivelyin case of emergency.- For this reason I provide an appreciable interval bctween the lever 42 and the lip or flange 39, allowing the shaft 16 to rock slightly in its bearing 17 without in any manner aHecting the brake, and provide a brake structure of which the braking action will be automatically increased once it is put in operation. In case the brake should grip too suddenly it is obvious that the force of momentum would carry the body` of the skater forward, overrunning his previously advanced leg so that the angle between his toe and leg would be 3de-creased, rocking :the shaft 16 partially forward and the brake would thereby automatically be released, wholly or partially, according to the circumstances.

The modified from of frame illustrated in Figure 4 is designed to be cast as an in tegral part and has a foot-plate 1a, a web or strut 2a, a reinforcing rib 5a and reinforcing webs 5b which, together with portions of the foot-plate 1a and web or strut 2n define an opening .to receive the bearing 17 for shaft 16 of brace 15. 1t also has a heelplate 6 integral with foot-plate 1a and is provided with' perforations in which the axles are to be fiXedly secured. A

The modified form of frame illustrated in Figure 5 is the same as that shown in Figr ure .4, except that it is intended 'for a smallerV skate for a smaller lighter person, and, becauseit is shorter and notsubject toas much weightfbracing rib 5@ of the modification shown in Figure 4 is omitted and the vstrut or web 2"V is carried on astraight slanting line from the forward end portion back to the brace 5". p Y p l The lock-nuts 23 are made accordingto the construction shown onv an enlarged scale in Figure 15 and have a tapered spiral section 23a extending nearly yaround the nut and from the top thereof. This spiral section 231 is bent downwardly throughout its entire length andy is thus forced strongly against the bolt threads for its entire length rather thanl at any one particular point, which would cause it to wear away, moreover, a bent section of this shape and length has plenty ofv spring in it to keep it 'from taking a permanent set.

In Figures 12, 13 and 14 I have shown a modified form' of connection, providing a universel ieint, between the etui, and brace 1.5-v In this modifation 2Oa indicates the plate-V festened by rivets 26, to the above des scribed leather CUE, 2,4 and pad, 25! T0 this plate the brackets 21a are riveted by rivets 4,L andthe perforated` platel 43 having cylineliieal end collars 44 sleeatedbetween these brackets 21afandheld in place therebetween byv means of cvlindricalv blocks 45. fitting Y' freely in said end collars 44 and having screwvthreaded stems extending through the respective brackets 2la and receiving lock'- nuts23.- A bolt 2.2 passes through the perforation plate 43.. and the perforation in pressure plate 19 and receives ,e leek-nut 23 Q nitsI screw-threaded end. The head of said belt 22 is in engagement; with the inner face of plate 43A and lies between said plate 43 @ed plate 20e.

Figures; 16, and: 1,7 I have shown a modified forni of this type of skate, which modified forni isv adapted t0k sustain lllOSt of lthe, skaters, weighton the front wheel.`

lIn this modification the frame consists of a foot-plate 46 preferably lof sheet steel,

mountedV upon a bracket .47, having an up waldly extending rearwardly curved arm 48, and a tail-piece. 149, which is pivotally held to the underface; of plate 46,-for slight swinging movement in a, horizontal plane, by bolt 5,0, said swinging movement being vlimited by an lli-shaped menrber 51 fitting over said tail-piece 49 and secured to plate 46 by rivets or :other suitable. means 4. The bracket 47 is also. secured to plate 46 by riv-V ets or other ,suitable means 4 and carries axle 52 for the large front wheel 6 preferably having pneumatic tire ID,v and the tailpiece 49 is provided with afperforationto receive the axle 53 for small rear wheel E,

preferably having pneumatic treF, a leeknut 2 3 `being screwed on the end of Isaid axle` 53ste hold ity in placer The rlete;.6.is1fp1:ev.i.eled with. .the usuel nste fstijajp, 7 the toe-clamps 8a`whieh slie through brackets 54 secured by rivets 4 t0. Plate 46., arev held ,inadillsted relation by dajrnp-sere'wsl '10a working through. screw! threaded bores. in the respective. brackets 5.4' and engaging the bottom faces of said Cleanse? errer The lever end portions of said clamping screws 10e"1 are angular in cross-section to facilitate ease of adjustment.

An extension 55.v is pivotally connected to the arm 48y by pivot pin 56 and has a lip 5.7 fastened to it by` rivets 4 and overlapping the rounded upper end of arm 48 and lying snugly against the outer face thereof, thel arm 4 8` and extension 55 together forming the brace,l laterally'rigid, but allowing pivotal movement in a verticalplane by the eX- tension 55 relative to the arm 48.

y The rear lwheel Ev is provided with a brakefdrunr extending from its inner face concentric with its. hub. Surrounding this brake-drum 30 is the split brake-band 31, provided with the usual brake-lining 32 gripping upon the brake-drum 3.0,l and; reinfforcedV with a chainl 33 havingv its upper and rear end secured thereto by a rivet 4 and its lower and forward end anchored toI the adjacent portion of the tail-piece 49 by a pi11'57 rIhe lower part of extension v5.5v has'an arln with a perforation 59 and, nearer its end and.

in front of perforation 59, with a projection or stop 6,0. The lip of Piange 39 ofthe brake-bandf31 is perforated and a link 61 hooks into the perforation 59 of arm 58 and its other end is screw-threaded and extends through the perforation in flange or lip. 39 of band 3l and receives a lock-nu-t 23", which maybe screwedon or slightly backedoff, as desired, to adjust the brake. action.

The upper portion of extension is stepped in or offset at 62 to provide clean ance room for rocking the foot and skate in either direction and to -provi'de for maintaining the wheels at the proper inclination with; relation to the line of gravity. To facilitate the rocking vof the foot and skate the upperend olf the extension 55 is connected by hinge 63 tov the plate 20 of cud' 24.

The function of stop is to prevent the arm 58 from swinging too far back when not attached to a skaters foot.

It will be seenv that as the foot is moved forward for braking the angle between the toev and legis increased, such a movement to. anunusual degree causing the extension 55 to'swing backward its larmv 58 to swing forward, thus pulling forwardly and upwardly on the d() andtifghtening the brake-.band l31,;and thus causing 'the brakeleilez 82 te stip tightly, tiren tbe-brak drum, 3,9.l Y f v v f In skates ef this type and having most of the skater-s weight sustained by'the frontl Wheel, it. is desirable, even With'hard tires, that the teil-pteee 49fbe-.meul1teelte have e llimited swinging motion to aid in steering,

49 normally in such position that the two wheels would be in longitudinal alignment might be used.

1f pneumatic tires are used, as illustrated and as contemplated, or if a pneumatic tire l) be used upon the large front wheel C, the thrust of the skate sidewise causes the rim of the wheel C to float outward and steer the skate outward, which it would not do if the weight were distributed evenly on both wheels as in the form of embodiment illustrated in Figures l., 2 and 3. To aid in overcoming this outward creeping action I find the slight relative swinging motion of the tail-piece 49 and the small rear wheel E carried thereby highly useful so as to permit steering of the front wheel C independently of the rear wheel E.

1t is not necessary that the rear wheel E be in any particular position since it does not carry much of the weight, but it should be placed so that it will not interfere with the skatersstroke, and I therefore prefer to place it directly behind the front wheel and in the same plane, which, in the form illustrated in Figures 16 and 17, is inclined outwardly approximately ten degrees to a vertical plane.

In case the foot-plate i6 were mounted at right angles to the wheels C and E there would be no occasion to twist. the tail-piece i9 as shownllaving thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

i. skate consisting of a rigid fixed form r1 eI fixed axles immovable with relation frame and protruding beyond one thereof near the respect'te ends thereof wheels mounted respectively on saidy on the single side of said frame, a i e connected to said frame and adaptobe connected at its upper end to the leg the skater, and bra ze mechanism adapt- `perate on one of said wheels, said ed to o frame lil-:ving a foot-plate which is located at a distan-ce from the ground equal to substantially one-third of the distance of the upper end of said brace from the ground.

il tate consisting of a rigid fixed form frame, two fixed axles immovable with relation to said frame and protruding therefrom beyond a single side thereof and near tie respective ends thereof, wheels respectively mounted on said axles on the single side of said frame, a brace connected to said fra ce and adapted to be connected at its uppei end to the leg of the skater, and a brake mechanism adapted to operate on one of said wheels, saitL frame haring foot-plate, tac location of said brace and the distance of its point of application of pressurelaterally to the skaters leg being so related to the disposition of said wheels and the point of application of pressure to the foot-plate axles permanently fixed with relation to each` other and to said frame and protruding from the latter on the same side thereof respectively adjacent the end portions thereof, and wheels mounted on said axles, said frame having a foot-plate, the upper surface of which is always vparallel to a line intersecting the points of contact of said wneels with the ground and is located at a distance from said line equal -to substan-` tially the distance between the skaters ankle joint and the bottom of the heel off his shoe. Y f

il. A skate consisting of a substantially rigid iiXed-form frame, wo Xed axles immovable with relation to| said frame and carried by the same and protruding beyond the saine side of said frame respectively adjacent the end portions thereof, and two wheels respectively mounted on said-axles, said frame having a foot-plate, in` combination. with a brace secured to said frame, the location of. said brace and its form and the distance from the ground of its point of application of pressure laterally to the skaters leg being so related to the disposition of said wheels and the point of application of pressure to the foot-plate that the angle between the line of application of pressure to said foot-plate and the Fixed plane of each of said wheels with relation to said frame will at no time during a noi'- inal skating stroke exceed thirtydegrees.

5. A skate comprising a substantially rigid fixed-form frame'ha-ving a foot-plate, road engaging elements, and mounting means for the latter, in combination with a brace secured to said frame, said mounting means comprising two axles in permanently ixed relation to each other and to said frame and protruding from the same side of the latter adjacent. the ends thereof respectively, said road engaging elements consisting of two wheels respectivelymounted on said axles and of such size as to extend above said foot-plate and as thus mounted lying always in the same plane at an inclination to the line of gravity, and the' location of said brace and its form and the distance from the ground of its point of application of pressure laterally to the skaters leg being so related to the constant commonplane of said wheels and the point of application of pressure to the foot-plate that the said wheels will be perpendicular Asame side of the latter respectively adjacent the respective ends thereof and, as soarranged, having parallel axes, in combination with a brace yconnected to said frame, said road engaging elements consisting of two wheels respectively mounted upon said axles at a common outward ,inclination to the line of gravity, .and pneumatic tires respectively mounted upon said wheels, and the location ot'said brace and its orm'and the distance from the ground of its point of application `of pressure laterally to the skaters leg being so krelated to the disposition ot said wheels and the kpoint or" application of presnsure to the foot-plate that said pneumatic tires, while havingvtheir axes parallel, will each be disposed in a. vertical plane with only their tread portions in engagement with the road surface during the latter portion of the normal skating stroke, whereby the rolling friction ot the tires with the ground will not be increased by excessive lateral distortion under side-thrust which is greatest during said portion of the normal skating stroke. A

7. A` skate comprising a substantially rigid lixed-orm frame having a foot-plate, road engaging elements, and two axles in permanently fixed relation to each other and to said :frame and protruding from the same side of ,the latter respectively adjacent the respective ends thereof and as so arranged having parallel axes, in combination with a brace rockably mounted in said fra-me tor movement in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of said frame and adapted to have its. upper portion secured to the skaters leg, a brake mechanism, and a projection carried by said brace and adapted to act on the brake mechanism to apply it or permit its release, said road engaging elements consisting of a trout wheel and a rear wheel respectively mounted on said axles, said brake mechanism comprising a brake-band adapted to act on the rear wheel and having a part adapted to be engaged bysaid projection :to tighten said brake band von Said wheel, a stop for preventing movement of said part to inoperative relation to said projection, and means `tor releasing said brakeband from said wheel, and said brace carrying said projection in rigid fixed position with relation to saidbrace at such angle and location that said projection will not engage said partot the brake band during the usual rocking :movement of the brace incident to the change of angle between the skaters leg and toe during the normal skating vstroke with this type of skate and will only engage said part to apply the brake when the .brace is rocked rearward to an unusual degree due to a forward movement ot the leg to point the-toe to an unusual degrec.

8. In combination with a skate Jframe and a skate wheel, a brake element adaptedy to operate on said wheel and so mounted with.

with relation to the forward rotation of the wheel as tov be actuated `therebyautomati cally upon being brought into operation by the brake operating means, and brake operating means carried by said trame and comprising an elementY extending toward, and adapted to act upon, said brake element to aotuate it.

9. In combination with a skate frame and a skate wheel, a brake element adapted to operate on said wheel and so mounted with relation to the forward rotation of the wheel as to be actuated thereby automatically upon being brought into operation by the brake operating means, and brake operating means, said brake operating means comprising a part having rocking movement about an axis having a iixed relation to said frame and carrying a portion adapted to be moved by a movement of the skaters leg resulting in pointing the toe to an unusual degree to actuate said brake element. y

1n testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification at New York, New York this 31st day of January 1923.

' CHARLES FHASKELL CLARK.

soA 

